Alleged Maternity Hotel in California Exposes Birth Tourism

An alleged birthing house has shed some light on the practice of birth tourism – when women travel to the U.S. to give birth, thereby securing citizenship for their children. Dominic Di-Natale reported that women spend anywhere between $15,000 and $50,000 to come to America to give birth.

So-called maternity hotels in California exposed the practice in affluent communities. Last month, residents in a gated community in Chino Hills protested against a house being used as one of these hotels. The seven-bedroom house had been converted into a 17-bedroom facility. It turns out, there were two other hotels operating nearby.

Rossana Mitchell, a “Not in Chino Hills” campaign member, said, “They don’t pay any taxes and then they can come back later, attend colleges here, get loans based on the benefits you get as U.S. citizens.”

The Center for Immigration Studies estimates as many as 40,000 mothers travel to the U.S. annually to give birth at maternity hotels.